It’s All in Your Perspective

Is your job search a chase after something that doesn’t exist?

If you were around in the late 80s you may remember Magic Eye Hidden Pictures. These were images that looked like abstract art, but if you looked at them long enough and opened your mind you would see a hidden image. Once you saw that image it was obvious and you wondered how you didn’t see it before. What can you see in the example above?

As a career coach, I talk to lots of people, many of whom are in a state of career transition (looking for a job) or career frustration (have a job but don’t like it). “Career coach” is a term lacking in a clear definition though (but it’s not as bad as Social Media Ninja). People who call themselves career coaches do everything from punch up your resume to improving your interview skills.

I look at a bigger picture. Ask 10 of your friends or colleagues if they have thought about owning a business of their own, and seven or more will put their hands up. Why haven’t they done so? The perceived challenges of business ownership are many, which is where I come in.

Pre-pandemic it was essentially a job-seekers’ market, with full employment and steady economic growth. Today we have millions out of work, many for months, and many more who have stopped looking after months of tweaking resumes, networking on LinkedIn, and a couple of Zoom interviews with no response.

Speaking of LinkedIn, the consensus response to long-term lookers there seems to be along the lines of “Hang in there — the right job will come along at the right time.” But for many, it hasn’t and likely never will. This is especially true for those in the 50+ set who are increasingly seen as out-of-touch, tech-clueless, and only want something cushy as they coast to retirement.

It’s true that as a member of the 50+ set, I have seen and felt that judgment more times than I can count. That’s why after months of searching, reading, and networking, I finally got tired of being ghosted by recruiters and started my own business (two, actually). My experience in working with many of those members of the disenfranchised is just the opposite of the prevailing assumptions.

Most, if not all, of my clients would be a huge benefit to any corporation. They have skills, experience, drive, energy, and empathy. They know what they’re good at, and where they need to ask for help. They bring perspective and insight that only years on the front lines can provide. Those transferable skills are a gold mine of transferable value, no matter the industry.

My clients bring perspective and insight that only years on the front lines can provide.

The challenge is in the assumptions the world makes. Somehow the typical career plan — even among current college students — is this: graduate, get a job, work up the corporate ladder, retire with a pension, and live the good life. That hasn’t really been possible for more than a generation — if it ever really was — so why is our society still holding onto that vision?

For most people, the corporate ladder is really a treadmill. Or maybe a hamster wheel. Run and run and run and stay right where you are — if you’re lucky. Step out of line and find yourself on the street, replaced by someone younger, cheaper, and more compliant. Or do a great job, grow the business, and drive revenue — and find yourself on the street anyway because (pick all that apply): pandemic, Amazon, recession, robots, offshoring, RIF, new CEO, etc.

For most people, the corporate ladder is really a treadmill.

For those looking for a job, or looking for a better job, know this: no matter what job you get, you will always be expendable and replaceable for nearly any reason. In the meantime, you will be giving your time, effort, and expertise to a company that will kick you to the curb when it suits them, no matter how hard you work or how many deals you close. That’s just the way it is.

If you are in the job market, I wish you the best. But know that viable alternatives to another job exist, no matter what your current role. Don’t just continue to beat your head on the desk, waiting for a reply that isn’t coming, while your LinkedIn connections tell you to hang in there and hope. Take a proactive stance and look for another way — it’s there, right now. But like those Magic Eye Hidden Pictures, you might need a different perspective to see the future that is right in front of you.